Deeping Lakes 30th June

A late afternoon visit to Deeping Lakes produced a number of waders on the East Pit including Bar-tailed Godwit, Little-ringed Plover and Common Sandpiper - 2 of each. The water level has dropped further and it is looking very suitable for waders at the moment. At the other end of the site, I saw a Little Owl for the first time in many weeks.

Lots of drgonflies about today with considerable numbers of Orthetrum cancellatum (Black-tailed Skimmer) around all the water bodies. I saw several pairs mating in flight over the East Pit. Also, large numbers of Coenagrion puella ( (Azure Damselfly) everywhere, both over the water surfaces and perching on the vegeration. An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull on one of the islands on the East Pit appeared to be catching and eating damselflies.

Trip: 26 miles, 4kWh

Morton’s Leam east of Peterborough

A longish cycle ride (35km) today, partly along Morton’s Leam, a medieval irrigation channel east of Peterborough centre.

Three cranes near Bassenhally were the highlight. These birds can be difficult to see at this time of year with the tall vegetation but these were in the open. On a warm June early afternoon, the Nene washes can seem a bit quiet. The best tactic I find, is just to wait until a passing marsh harrier triggers a mobbing flight. Suddenly the washes fill with previously invisible lapwing, redshank and snipe.

Tanholt Pit Plovers

I planned to do a quick cycling trip to Tanholt Pit today, but ended watching a plover for ages trying to confirm its identity. I hadn’t got my scope with me.
There’s an increasing amount of mud being exposed on the northern pit, and it does provide a small feeding area for passage waders. So far in spring this year, I have seen black tailed godwit, little ringed plover, common sandpiper, lapwing and oystercatcher here. Not bad for a little known inland site. Autumn passage might be quite good here if the water level drops further.

As I arrived, there were two plovers together with a smart dunlin. One of the plovers flew off - no wing bar - little ringed plover. The other stayed put. It was larger than the dunlin and had orangey legs, and no sign of a lemon eye ring. The bill was orange with a black tip.

I waited for ages for it to preen or fly to show a wing bar. Eventually it had a stretch and showed a wing bar. First ringed plover for me on this site since 2013, and only my 6th record here. (38 site records for Little ringed plover).
The delays meant I got soaked by a heavy shower going home.

Cuckoos, Cettis and red kites were other highlights

From Collins Guide

Garganey at Deeping Lakes, 1st June

A pair of Garganey were reported on the East Pit at Deeping Lakes yesterday, so I went along this morning to see if they were still there. I only saw one bird, the male, which was very visible in the corner of the pit nearest the road.

A remarkable number of Mute Swans are on The Lake at the moment including a few family parties with young cygnets. There has been a huge hatch of Azure Damselfly (Coenagrion puella) and they were everywhere in the vegetation. I also saw a female Banded Demoiselle (Calopteryx splendens) and one bigger dragonfly I didn't get a good look at.

Trip: 26 miles, 5kWh

Curlew Sandpipers at Frampton Marsh RSPB, Sunday 31st May

A visit to the RSPB reserve at Frampton Marsh was my first since before lockdown began in March. I normally try to get there at least once a month. As expected, the visitor centre (including the toilets) and the hides were closed. The other change since I was last there is that the anti-predator fence around the main scraped is now completed and operating. This means that you go through a gate in the fence on the way round the North Scrape from the Reedbed Hide towards the East Hide and then you go back out of it at the base of the steps up the sea wall. Signs on these gates say that they are open from 9:30 to 16:00 and are otherwise kept locked. I had a chat to the warden before I left and he said that this was to ensure that they were not left open at night - which would of course, totally defeat their purpose!

The breeding season is in full swing and there were young birds everywhere. Avocet chicks were especially noticeable. In small groups all around the pools and not obviously associated with an adult in most cases. Young geese, ducks, Coot, Black-headed Gulls and Lapwing were also much in evidence. Whilst many Black-headed Gulls have chicks, I didn't see any tern chicks, although many were sitting on nests.

The highlights were Little-ringed Plover, my fist of the year, a Spoonbill, a Greenshank and a couple of Curlew Sandpiper - not something I would have expected in late May.

The winter stuff has not completely departed: there were about 15 Brent Geese on the main scrapes, 4 Barnacle Geese on the wet grassland and a pair of Wigeon on the North Scrape. Presumably the Brents are either too young to breed or too old and sick to migrate.

This was a hot and sunny Sunday morning with enough of a breeze to keep it pleasant and by the time I left at about 12:30 it was busy! Both car p[parks were full and there were family parties everywhere.

Trip: 63 miles, 14 kWh.